FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. (AP) — Eli Drinkwitz used to be welcomed in northwest Arkansas. Not so much lately.
Drinkwitz, now in his fourth season as coach at Missouri, last worked at the high-school level about 10 miles north of the University of Arkansas campus. But much like Gus Malzahn, the man he coached with at Springdale High, Drinkwitz isn’t seen as a friendly face this time of year.
The 10th-ranked Tigers (9-2, 5-2 Southeastern Conference, No. 9 CFP) will look to beat Arkansas (4-7, 1-6) for the third time in four years under Drinkwitz when the two meet Friday in the Battle Line Rivalry. A Missouri win would clinch its first 10-win season since 2013-14 and could result in the Tigers playing in a New Year’s Six bowl game, a worthy consolation despite not winning the SEC East because of two-time national champion Georgia.
“Our team is going to want to play,” Drinkwitz said. “They’re going to want to show up and play. It means a lot to them, to me and to our staff and we have a whole lot riding on this game. It starts with the Battle Line Trophy.”
The trophy is Arkansas’ motivation, too, especially now that coach Sam Pittman has been confirmed as returning next season.
Doubt about Pittman’s future grew progressively this year with the Razorbacks set to go without a bowl game for the first time in his four seasons. A 48-10 loss to Auburn on Nov. 11 appeared it may have been the catalyst for removal. Instead, athletic director Hunter Yurachek released a statement Sunday following Arkansas’ win over Florida International that Pittman would return in 2024.
“I was really happy that he did it because I think it needed to go out publicly so we could move forward and continue to progress and change the football team in recruiting, as well,” Pittman said.
Beating Missouri would help, too, though that’s a tough ask. Quarterback Brady Cook is 15th in the FBS in yards passing with 3,077 and has thrown 18 touchdowns against six interceptions. Running back Cody Schrader is seventh nationally in yards rushing (1,272) and has 12 touchdowns.
But Arkansas also has several close losses and a win over Florida, so Drinkwitz sees potential. Missouri needed a last-second field goal to beat Florida last week.
“Their record may not be what they wanted it to be,” Drinkwitz said of Arkansas. “I think they they lost five one-score games in a row.”
HANGING ON
Yurachek said in a social media post that Pittman has work to do.
“This has not been the season any of us anticipated,” Yurachek wrote. “We have work to do. I am confident that together, we can meet the goals and expectations of our program.”
SERIES PRESERVED
The game is the final one for both schools in the SEC’s divisional format. This series has been preserved, even with Texas and Oklahoma joining the SEC next year.
While somewhat shoehorned in as a more modern rivalry, sheer geographical proximity makes it viable. Arkansas and Missouri go after the same recruits from the Ozarks region and they’re both the closest SEC school to each other.
Missouri is 7-2 overall in the series since it’s become the Battle Line Rivalry. Arkansas’ only wins came in 2015 and 2021.
BACK UP, BACK-UP
Arkansas’ season has not met expectations, but Isaiah Augustave earned SEC Freshman of the Week honors after his performance against Florida International in which he ran for 101 yards on 14 carries. He should get more of a load against Missouri, too, after Pittman announced Raheim Sanders and Rashod Dubinion, two backs ahead of Augustave on the depth chart, would miss the game.
LIKE AN NFLer
Cook’s numbers are not top 10, but they’re some of the strongest in Missouri history. The only previous quarterbacks since 2000 for the Tigers to pass for more than 3,000 yards in a season, Drew Lock and Blaine Gabbert, played in the NFL.
RECORD SETTER
Arkansas quarterback KJ Jefferson became the school’s all-time leader in career yards passing and passing touchdowns last week against Florida International. He eclipsed Tyler Wilson’s yardage mark of 7,765 yards and now has 7,909. He has 65 touchdown passes, surpassing Brandon Allen’s mark of 64.
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